Petehg



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

VA.EASTILIOPL. VELOGIPEDE.-

No. 423,471. Patented'flVIar. 18, 1890.

A 4 Sheets-Sheet 3, LEAST'HOPB;

VBLOGIPEDE (No Model.)

No. 423,471. Patented Mar.;18,'189o.

Y (Nomodel.)

A. EASTHOPB.

VELOGIPEDE.

No. 423,471. Patented Mar. 18,1890.

wrrNEssL-:s: INVENTDR.

4 sheets-sheet 4.

UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED EASTHOPE, OF 'OLVERHAMPTON, COUNTY OF STAFFORD,

' ENGLAND.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,471, dated March 18, 1890. Application led October 16,1889. Serial No. 327,231. (No model.) i

To @ZZ whom, t merg/concern.'

Be it known that I, ALFRED EAsTHoPE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at wWolverhamptornin the county of Stafford, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Velocipedes, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in the `frames of bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes; and it consists in forming the frame in three parts, one of which carries'the steering wheel or wheels, another the driving wheel orwheels and the pedal crank-axle, and the third part the seat or saddle and .steering head or joint and the transverse handle-bar for the rider, and of elastically connecting these parts together, so that they move With respect the one to the other, the object beingl the reduction of vibration and the isolation of the rider therefrom. I attain this object inthe manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whicht Figure 1, Sheet No. l, is a view in side elev: rvation of a rear-driving bicycle, the frame .of whichis constructed according to my inaframe, Fig. 4, Sheet N o. 3, and Fig. 5, Sheet 30 No. 4, are views in side elevation of rear-driving bicycles, illustrating further modifications in the construction of the spring-frame. Like parts are denoted by similar letters of reference through the several views.`

The steering wheel or Wheels A is or are mounted on an axle a, carried by a fork or its equivalent B, extending upward in the form of a tubular post B'. (B and B' form one of the three parts of the frame of the machine.) The driving wheel or wheels C is or are mounted on an axle c, carried by a triangular or equivalent shaped frame D D' D2, each side of which consists, preferably, of double members. The side D carries the bearings e for the pedal crank-axle E'. The side D' runs from the axle c of the driving wheel or wheels to a point beyond the periphery thereof under the seat or saddle. From this point the side D2 runs to join the side D at a point in advance of the pedal crank-axle E. (D, D', and D2 form another of the three parts of the ing-pillar G', carrying the transverse steering 2 handle-bar G. The side H' runs horizontally rearward to carry the pillar F for the saddle F'. The side H2 runs from this `pointto the pedal crank-axle E, and the side H3 runs from the pedal crank-axle E to the bottom of the side H. (H, H', H2, and H3 form the third part of the frame.)

The frame H, H', H2, and H3 is pivotedto the frame D D D2 at or about the pedal crank-axle E by any suitable form or joint, so that they may rock with respect to each other at or about the pedal crank-axle. The object of pivoting these two parts of the frame together at or about the pedal crankaxle is that the relative' positions of the han- .dle-bar, saddle, and pedal crank-axle shall" not alter under the movements of the several parts of the frame.

To' prevent undue wear on the pivoting joint and to make the two parts of the frame vtransversely rigid, the apex of the frame' D -D' D2 is adapted to slide on the frame H H' H2 H3 at or near the junction of the two sides H and H2, asy illustrated by Fig. 2, or on a guide-bar h, carried thereby, as illustrated n by Fig. l.

rlocontrol the movement of. the two parts of the frame D D' D2 and H H' H2 H3 with respect to one another, a spring J is interposedV in any convenient position, either as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, where the spring J is .acting in' compression between the sideH3 of the one part of 'the vframe and a cross-bar d between theA two members of the side D2 of the other part of the frame, or as shown by Fig. 3, where the springis inclosed in a box h, carried by the side H2 of the one part of the frame, and is compressed by a piston h', connected by a coupling-rod j with the -end of the side D of the other part of the frame. As a further modification, the spring J may be adapted to act in tension between the end of the side D and any convenient part of the IOO side H2. yItis not essential that the side-D2 as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, either for convenienee in construction or for simplicity of design.

` The part B B of the frame is connected to the part H H H2 H3 by means of a link K or its equivalent, pivoted to the vpost B close to the crown of the jforkB and to the lower end of the steering-pillar G', carried by the frame H H H2 H3.y The upper end of the post B is adapted to slide through a socket L, either with 'or witho'ut a rocking bearing, earri'ed by the"steeringpilla'rG. The 'movement 0f thlepart' B B is 'een trl'led by 'a` spring JV', en-

ci'r'elin'g t'rhep'st B and faetin'g in compression between a collar or shoulder b, formed onrfiixedto the said post, -and'theso'eke carried-ty the Astesring-'puiar. Y

y-nefifeveie-Spri]1g J2 is placed above the Socket L,;as illustrated, to preyent noise and rattle. -Iffdesired,' springs Tnay be placed 'on the steering-pillar G aboyeand below the steeri-nig-"soeketH, "as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 4; but thfisfoiins no part 'of niy invention.

'Ilustaid 0f" placiigthe link K at the b'ot-to'in and thewsoeket L at the top, the position of tlfiesle twofpartsinay be reversed with equal thelowere'nd` of the steering-pillar G at its peint v:fatta'ehrnent to the lin-k K by ineaiisv` ofjav link yorl its "equivalent, asillustrated byv drfbttedv lines i211 Fig. 3, 'Sheet' No. 2, 'the Spring' J-'ean'be `dispensed with, the spring J eenparts o f the frame. The link jwould beeny L in -a `siifnilar manner-to the part'B Bff the traine, "asj illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5. I'uff the` frame shown by Fig. 4 the link K is'eonnfeeted to the part D D D2 of the frame at or about the 'pedalCrankJaX'lefI-E, the part H Hr H2113 -of the fra-me being-shaped to adapt the*` ln'aeh-inetothe use'iof ladies. jln the frame" 'to sedure Lettersl .Paten-t, is;

tin the; part -DD D261? the@ shown by Fig.y 5 the link Kis connected to vthe part DD D2 of the fiain'e at 'r about the ,land J2, as illustrated.

Those parts which have not been herein- 65 before particularly described, or which are not fully illustratedy in the drawings, present no novel features and may be of the usual type and construction.

My improved spring-frame, although hereinbefore more particularly des'eribed and illustrated by the `faee01npanying drawings' as applied to arelar-:driying sJfety-'bie'yele, is eq'uaIly'EappliC'able to fall ty'pes oftriey'eles. By thisenstruetionoffra'ie tire welghtjff 75 the rider'is-earri'ed orsu'fspen'd'e'dv betw'ee the steering and driving wheel vvor wheel' on springs'iand 'either wheel 'or wheels to pass "over obstaleswithout'appr lifting the Othjerpait or parts of the' fi I wishit to bepartieularly un'derfsto Ido not liluiitiiyself to the 'precise r`deta 'sf oo'nstrutioinherein-before' vset forth," but myself 'at liberty to 'inake"'si1ch"' el-'auges and Ss Sealife er ffn'y invention; im

what r rdo'eiaim as -my mwen-en, affajeesire In 'ay'feloeip'ede the "o'l bi'natin, centrali rigid fra-me supporting the saciar@ i Handlebar, of 'a freut 'ri-gid frame rm front wheel, the pivotedli'nk Kja J', fintereosed 'between the two-f rear rigid 'fratrie for 'thehindWheel,v titre lpidan-5d flink yh and the Spring enterprise@ between 1the' VVsaid" '3ent1"a`l 1vand"rear fiaues, whereby the 'centi-al' "fra'inefna'y vibrate 'yertically between the said frofn'tafn'd 'rear frames, substantially 5as' ra'fd for the p'i'irpo'seset forth.

Ioo

`lVitnes/ses:

JoHNjWILLIAi/r EAsTHoPE,

Sl'zrewsbury, WVLLIAM HRY IDIEs. 

